3D Printing – The Future @ your Fingertips

3D printing first emerged in the late 1980s when it was known as “Rapid Prototyping” technology.

Over the past 5 years, with the advancement of digital technology, 3D printers are now being used for more mainstream applications. While still used for producing prototypes, 3D printers are a more generalized technology with many and varied uses, widely known today as “Additive Manufacturing”.

Additive Manufacturing is the process of digital 3D design data being applied to build up a component, layer by layer using materials which are deposited in fine powder form. In short, this process creates a physical object from a digital design.

3D printers eliminate complex and expensive machinery. Some of their applications include;

This 3D Compact Replicator Mini is ideal for design and education environments;

3D Compact Replicator Mini

Thanks to 3D technology, a digital model can be turned into a solid 3 dimensional object within hours.Within 3D printing technology, there are various methods of creating 3D parts using different materials and mechanisms. However, all are based on the same principle: a digital model is turned into a solid three-dimensional object by adding material layer by layer. 3D printing makes it possible to create a part from scratch in a matter of hours.

Of the various 3D printing technologies, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is the most widely used among the personal printers for the following reasons;

Simple to use – it is very office friendly. Not messy or dirty

Material – Safe materials

Less expensive to produce

The below 3D Replicator Z18 by Makerbot, uses FDM technology and allows you to make extra large models. Some of the other features that make this modern 3D technology so compelling and convenient include;

App and cloud enabled

Includes, print, manage and share software.

The ability to monitor printing via the onboard camera.

PRIN9402 3D Replicator Z18

3D printing enables Concept to Real-time prototyping3D printers such as this 3D Digitizer scanner, allow you to

The benefits and applications for 3D printing are varied and compelling. As the technology continues to grow rapidly, so does the rate of adoption, which gives cause to consider Charles Darwin words from 130 plus years ago, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”.